The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), led by the late Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, yesterday promised to mobilise support for the Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and other candidates of the party in the Southwest in next month’s general elections. The deputy president of the socio-cultural group, Wasiu Afolabi, made the promise in Lagos. He said the group resolved to police the votes of the electorate and enhance credible elections by resisting rigging. Read more

Strikes: Allow me to concentrate, Buhari begs labour unions (Punch)

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday appealed to various labour unions in the country to reduce their agitations to enable his administration to concentrate on repairing damaged infrastructure. He spoke during a meeting with the executive committee of the National Association of Nigerian Students at the State House in Abuja. Buhari specifically mentioned the Academic Staff Union of Universities and urged the striking teachers to appreciate the efforts of his administration at fixing collapsed infrastructure. “In three-and-a-half years, we have improved tremendously on what we met. We are trying to do infrastructure. Read more

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to double their efforts to ensure a resounding victory for the ruling party at the forthcoming elections. He gave the advice yesterday at the inauguration of the Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team at the old Banquet Hall of the State House in Abuja. The President also urged them to intensify their door-to-door campaign to remind Nigerians why the administration should be given a second term. Read more

The Presidential Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDPPCO) yesterday kicked against the appointment of Mrs. Amina Zakari as chairman of the Advisory Committee and Presidential Election Collation Centre Committee. It said Mrs. Zakari, being a blood relation of President Muhammadu Buhari, cannot be trusted to head such a sensitive position in the operation line of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But INEC said the PDPPCO got its information wrong as Mrs. Zakari had not been given any role to head the commission’s Presidential Election Collation Centre. Read more

Gunmen kill Ekiti council accountant, abduct two others (Punch)

Unknown gunmen, on Wednesday, shot dead the Accountant of the Emure Local Government Area of Ekiti State, Mr Abayomi Ajayi. Two other employees of the council – the Coordinator of the state Primary Health Care Board, Dr Fashina, and the Administrative Officer, Pastor Onaade – were also kidnapped during the incident. The incident took place around 8pm along the Ikere-Ise Road, when the local government council officials were returning home from work. Sources could not agree on whether the three were in the same vehicle or not. A source in the council, who preferred anonymity, said, “I cannot really say how it happened, but the kidnappers have contacted the families of the two council officials. Read more

Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye yesterday lost his bid to end the six-day old siege to his Abuja home by policemen. A Federal High Court in Abuja rejected his ex-parte application, in which he, among others, sought to compel the police to end the blockade. Justice Evelyn Maha, in a ruling, after listening to Melaye’s lawyer, Nkem Okoro from the law firm of Mike Ozekhome (SAN), declined to grant the interim injunctions sought by the (Peoples Democratic Party) senator in his ex-parte motion. Instead, Justice Maha ordered accelerated hearing of the substantive suit – a fundamental rights enforcement suit. Justice Maha, who noted that she would cease to act as the court’s vacation judge by January 4 (when the court’s vacation ends), said elected to return the case file to the court’s Chief Judge for re-assignment to a new judge. Read more

The All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftains in the South-East, have told a former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to “give Ndigbo a break, because 2023 is the turn of Igbo extraction to produce the President of Nigeria.” Director General of Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu made the assertion, while speaking alongside the APC national vice chairman, South East, Emma Eneukwu and Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, during the South-East APC stakeholders meeting. They argued that it was only Ndigbo that had not occupied Aso Presidential Villa. Read more

INEC gets two committees for presidential poll, others (Nation)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken a major step in its preparation for the February 16 presidential election and others. It inaugurated yesterday two ad-hoc committees for Electoral Logistics and Collation Centre. Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Ahmed Mu’azu is the chairman of the Electoral Logistics Committee. Mrs. Amina Zakari is the chairperson of the Results Collation Committee. Her appointment drew criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but INEC said there was no need for that because she is in charge of setting up the Situation Room and National Collation Centre for the election. Read more

Insecurity: I’m ready to quit, says Zamfara Governor Yari (Nation)

Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari, yesterday said he would relinquish his position if doing so will solve the security challenges in the Northwest State. The governor said he has no objection to the declaration of state of emergency in his domain to restore peace. He spoke with reporters after holding a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Noting that the security situation in the state has improved, Yari said the bandits responsible for the security breach breed their cattle in the forest and strike occasionally. He also accused the security agencies, especially the police of not doing enough by promptly replacing redeployed officers. Read more

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, yesterday, read riot act to contractors engaged to renovate and reconstruct 230 public schools in the state. The governor vowed to prosecute any contractor who delivered sub-standard work. The governor gave the warning when he held a meeting with the contractors handling the school renovation project, at Government House, in Benin City. He said: “Ordinarily, I will not interact with contractors but because of the priority we place on basic education, I decided to have this all-important meeting with you. “We have five pillars of our State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, system and one of them is the refurbishment of our schools.” Read more

Oyo pays 81 pensioners N204m gratuities (Nation)

A new set of retirees yesterday received N204 million cheques for their gratuities in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. It brought the total gratuities payment by the state government for last year to over N1.5 billion. Eighty-one civil servants and teachers on all grade levels, who retired in 2012, received N204,235,185.06 as gratuities. Presenting the cheques to the beneficiaries at the old Ministry of Establishment and Training of the state secretariat, the Head of Service (HoS) Mrs Olawumi Ogunesan said the payment was another demonstration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners who sweat daily to ensure that government meets its obligations to the state. Read more

Ghanaian Isaac Owusu-Bempah’s church stormed over prophecy (BBC)

Angry Muslim youth have attacked a church in Ghana’s capital after its pastor predicted the possible death of the country’s chief imam in 2019. An organ, windows and chairs were damaged after the youth stormed Rev Isaac Owusu-Bempah’s church in Accra. Chief Imam Nuhu Sharabutu condemned the attack. Self-styled Christian prophets have a huge following in Africa, and often predict major events, including the deaths of leading public figures. In 2016, one of Africa’s most popular preachers, Nigerian TB Joshua, predicted during a church service that Hillary Clinton would defeat Donald Trump in the US presidential election. Read more

Nancy Pelosi to lead diverse House (BBC)

California Democrat Nancy Pelosi has again been elected as Speaker – the third most powerful role in Washington – in the US House of Representatives. She reclaimed the gavel after the most diverse class of lawmakers were sworn in and as Democrats took control of the House after mid-term elections gains. Her victory came as the US government remained partly shut down in a row over funds for the president’s border wall. Ms Pelosi has said she wants to end the shutdown but will not support the wall. “I’m particularly proud to be a woman Speaker of the house of this Congress, which marks the 100th year of women having the right to vote,” she said. Read more

Niger Tornadoes resume training today (Guardian)

Niger Tornadoes of Minna will resume training today for the final phase of their preparation for the 2018/2019 Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL) after a two-week break for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. The Ikon Allah boys will regroup at the club’s training ground at the College of Education mini stadium, Minna this morning to hold their first training session of the new year. According to the chairman of the Niger Tornadoes management committee, Mallam Abubakar Mustapha Gawu, the players were expected to arrive in camp yesterday ahead of the first training session. Read more

Dalung vows to fix National Stadium Lagos this year (Guardian)

Sports Minister, Solomon Dalung yesterday vowed to resuscitate the National Stadium in Lagos, which last hosted an international competition in 2006. Since then the stadium has been abandoned to rot by successive leadership of the sports ministry. Speaking on the prospects of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in 2019, Dalung said Nigerian athletes would do better in the new year if facilities needed for training were upgraded. “Infrastructural update should be cardinal in 2019. We must fix the National Stadium in Surulere Lagos. If we fix the place, you cannot imagine the number of young people that will be employed as a result and it will improve the economy of Lagos state. Read more

Ndidi rated best Nigerian player in 2018, makes African 11 (Vanguard)

Super Eagles and Leicester City midfielder. Wilfred Ndidi has been rated the best Nigerian player for 2018 and he was also named in France Football magazine’s 2018 African team of the year. Ndidi was praised by the magazine for his ball-winning abilities. He is paired with Ghana’s Thomas Partey and Morocco’s Hakim Ziyech in the midfield. Senegal’s Saido Mane and Egypt forward, Mohamed Salah, are the two other England-based players in the squad. “He is certainly not the most spectacular player of his selection or even Leicester. But in his record, the former defensive midfielder of Genk has also settled in the midfield and his statistics in the Premier League are exceptional, both in terms of tackles than balls recovered,” the magazine stated. Read more

Nigeria’s duo of Asisat Oshoala and Francesca Ordega may lose out on the 2018 African Woman Footballer of The Year award, next Tuesday in Dakar, Senegal, as footballlive.ng reports that many soccer pundits are rating them behind South Africa’s Chrestinah Kgatlana. Although Oshoala is the current award holder and three-time winner, while Ordega dazzled at the last African Women Cup of Nations in Ghana, Kgatlana was that competition’s most valuable player and top goals scorer, such that pundits tip her to become the second South African to be voted best, after Noko Matlou in 2008. However, while being tipped to emerge tops on Tuesday, Kgatlana, who plays for Houston Dash of USA, says she was truly surprised to win the MVP and top scorer awards at the 2018 AWCON in Ghana. Read more

Man City close gap on Reds to four points (BBC)

Manchester City reignited the Premier League title race as they ended Liverpool’s 20-game unbeaten start to the season to reduce their lead at the top of the table to four points. Pep Guardiola’s hosts knew nothing less than a win at Etihad Stadium would do on a night riddled with tension that produced a game that was frenetic if not a classic. Leroy Sane produced the decisive moment 18 minutes from time as he collected Raheem Sterling’s pass to fire across Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, after it seemed like Roberto Firmino’s stooping header would maintain the visitors’ unbeaten sequence. Read more

Police arraign businessman for alleged fraud (Nation)

The police yesterday arraigned a businessman, Abraham Moses, for allegedly converting N200,000 meant for his neighbour’s rent to personal use. Moses, who lives on Ajegunle Road, Mpape Abuja, is facing a two-count charge of criminal breach of trust and cheating before a Wuse Zone 6 Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja. Prosecutor Emmanuel Ochai said Onyedika Paul of the same address, on November 22, reported the matter at the Metro Area Command, Abuja. He said the complainant alleged that the defendant claimed to be an agent in charge of a self-contained apartment and that he gave him N200, 000 meant for the rent of the apartment. Read more

Man kills 73-yr-old mother in Enugu (Vanguard)

A 73-year-old woman, Mrs Cecilia Attah, has been reportedly killed by her son at Nru, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. Mrs Attah was killed, Wednesday, by her son who used a plank to hit her on the head, following a slight argument. It was gathered that shortly after killing his mother, the suspect ran to the nearby Nsukka Police Station to report that his brother wanted to kill him. Apart from the suspect, the deceased is said to be the mother of a priest, Rev Fr. Nobert, who is now on sabbatical at the United States of America, USA, with Athanasius Igwenagum Attah, 54, as the eldest. Read more

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